Love All Over Again
by black-winged Fury
Summary: Could Seto make up for what he didn’t do three years ago now that he finds himself occupied with his exlover’s doppelganger and a toddler, both of whom he curiously feels connected to? Prideshipping.
1. back to school surprises

**Love All Over Again**

**By black-winged Fury**

Disclaimer: Yugioh's not mine, but if it was…

Summary: With the love of his life gone, Kaiba decides to return to Domino in order to forget about his loss… little did he know that fate was giving him a second chance in love. AU-ish. Shounen-ai. SetoxYami. Sucky summary, a hopefully better story inside.

Warnings: Just some very mild language in later chapters.

**Fury: **hello everyone! Welcome to my first ever yugioh fic. This would be my first try on everything about this story, even the writing style, so just go easy on it okay?

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**Chapter 1: Back to School Surprises**

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The small digital clock on my desk beeped, startling me from my work. Cursing inwardly I glared at the contraption, half expecting it to shudder and slunk down like most of my employees whenever I sent them the same look.

Unfortunately the little nuisance never moved. Not even a fraction. But I wasn't disappointed, really. Most decent people knew that a non-living thing cannot move by its own accord, especially a rich CEO of a world-famous corporation such as me.

I smirked at the thought.

So I had to content myself to stare at the small screen, azure eyes reflected on the luminescent numbers. It was midnight.

My glare softened a bit as I realized what that meant.

_It was July 17. Our anniversary._

Memories of the past hit me like a huge wave. Normally I would shun such occurrences away, wanting to focus myself on the present, but now I welcomed them. I reveled in them. Reminiscing the times we spent together.

I felt my heart go heavy as I thought about it. No matter how much I hoped, wished, or prayed (which I don't), I knew I couldn't go back in time… to him.

I subconsciously clenched my hands tightly. I hated this feeling of helplessness.

As if to calm myself, I shifted my gaze to the polished drawer on my right-hand side. Opening it, I pulled out a small metal frame about the size of my hand. Looking at the picture, my now squirming stomach joined my already heavier heart.

The picture was taken more or less five years ago, I calculated. It was a picture of myself and another man standing in the gardens behind the mansion. I smirked at the younger me before concentrating entirely on the next figure.

_Damn stomach. _

The figure was Atem.

He never looked so beautiful, I thought. Out of longing, my eyes drank in his perfectly bronzed skin, his petite but slender figure, his incredible tri-colored hair, and his crimson eyes.

Oh God, those eyes.

I just sat there, lost in those red depths, drowning in them for who knows how long. But I didn't care. I never cared for anything whenever I was with Atem, not even for my corporation. Hell, I would gladly give up everything just for me to spend another lifetime with him.

_But he's gone,_ a voice spoke somewhere in my head. _You're too late._

Cursing, more audibly this time, I shut down my laptop and placed it inside my briefcase. Taking one final glance at the picture, I stood up and stormed out of my office intending to finish my work home.

**0o0o0o0o0**

I sighed to myself as the limo turned a corner, a large building getting more and more visible as my driver sped on. After two months of summer – or rather, uninterrupted work time for me - it was back to classes once more.

Personally, I think I despise school more than the regular student for: one, I have never _ever_ been a sociable person, preferring only the company of my brother or none at all, and that… place is jammed pack with idiots of all kinds.

Two, it's a waste of time for a genius like me. I mean, hasn't anyone noticed that _I'm_ the president and CEO of Kaiba Corp., the largest entertainment and gaming company in practically the whole world? And I'm only eighteen to boot. Just imagine sitting on a stiff chair inside a boring room all day having to listen to a balding old man drabble on and on about some simple thing that you knew since adolescence for eight hours a day, five days a week, four weeks a month, ten months a year.

Three words: A. Living. Nightmare.

But I have no more time to wallow in my misfortunes for the driver had already slowed down in front of the school gates. Having no other choice and after leaving a brief instruction to pick me up later for a lunch meeting, I stepped outside of the car and headed straight for my first period classroom.

As I sat in my usual place at the rear back where no one can disturb me, I pulled out my laptop from my briefcase and started to work. Slowly the room began to fill up with noisy students, running around and gossiping with each other, but I didn't pay them any attention; I had better things to do than to waste time mingling with 'their sort'.

"Hey Kaiba!" said an extremely overenthusiastic, high-pitched voice. I cringed at the sound and the familiarity of it. "So, how was your summer?"

I spared Yugi a glance before resuming my typing. "Fine," I replied shortly.

"I haven't seen you for a while now. What have you been up to?"

"Work."

"Oh, of course. I forgot…" Yugi said sheepishly, though I knew he was lying. "Why don't you hang out with us later after school? You know, so we could catch up with each other."

I smirked at him though my eyes never left my laptop. "If you're really interested with the going-ons in my life, trying reading the newspaper or watch the evening news. Trust me, it'll be much easier for both of us that way."

"You don't have to be such a snob, Kaiba," said a reprimanding, female voice. It was Anzu. "You should be thankful that Yugi's even talking to you."

"It's okay Anzu, really. I don't mind." Yugi said to his friend. But it seemed that he wasn't heard for the girl already started one of her 'friendship lectures'. I had to mentally restrain myself from lashing out and humiliating her in front of the whole class as she continued ranting about how important friends were and how we should treasure them and blah blah blah…

And to make matters worse, I had the misfortune to see the mutt and Honda walk up towards us, a piece of toast still dangling from the mutt's mouth.

Oh joy.

"What's up, guys?" Jounouchi greeted, spraying breadcrumbs everywhere. I scrunched up my nose in disgust as I dusted myself off and my desk. Why do I even waste my time with such uncouth people was beyond me, although _that_ made friendship girl shut up.

"That's gross, Jou," Anzu whined, wiping her face from crumbs, "You know you're not supposed to talk when your mouth is full. It's basic manners!"

Jounouchi swallowed the rest of the toast before answering. "I _may_ have heard of it before…" he smirked, earning him a glare from Anzu.

He rolled his eyes in response, "Gods Anzu, I was just kidding. You better lighten up or else you and Kaiba here would look alike." He jabbed a thumb in my direction before adding, "Oh, and no offense Kaiba."

"None taken," I replied smoothly, although the glare I was sending him told otherwise. "Listen, why don't you people move your sorry little asses along and leave me alone? As much as I _love_ our chitchat, I do think you can see I'm busy and I'd rather finish this before class starts so if you mind?"

"But I was going to tell you about –" Yugi started but the teacher suddenly entered the room. The whole place was a flurry of movement as people rushed to get to their places, not wanting to get reprimanded at so early in the morning. I sighed in relief as the Yugi-tachi finally left me in peace.

But what happened next took my mind away from any thought about continuing work.

"Good morning class," the teacher, Mr. Ohara, said.

"Good morning, Ohara-san," the class chorused.

"Today we have a new addition to our little group so I want you all to behave your best," Mr. Ohara said, pointedly stating the last words to the likes of Bakura, "Mr. Moutou, you may come in now."

Nothing could have prepared me for this.

I gaped in disbelief as Atem strode in confidently; his face split into a grin.

_No, it can't be_, I thought, _Atem is…_

But there he was in the flesh, right in front of me. I was certain I wasn't hallucinating or something for apart for the fairer skin color, he looked exactly like the picture I had… But that still didn't stop me from gawking at him in public.

"Hello everyone," he started, giving a little bow, "My name is Yami Moutou, age seventeen. I was born and raised in Egypt although I am Japanese in blood. That explains my name and why I don't look Egyptian. Oh, and to those who have been wondering, yes, Yugi and I are relatives; we're cousins in fact." His grin was replaced by a warm smile as he looked at Yugi's direction. I followed his gaze before staring back up at him. "It's a pleasure staying here and I hope that I would get to know all of you better."

The class broke into applause as Yami took another bow, his smile never faltering. When the clapping died down, Mr. Ohara spoke again.

"Thank you Yami for that wonderful introduction. Now, why don't we find you a place, eh? How about that vacant chair beside Mr. Kaiba? Mr. Kaiba, if you could please raise your hand so Mr. Moutou will know where you are."

Slowly, as if hesitantly, I raised my right hand. Having spotted me, Yami bowed again to our teacher before hurrying towards me. As he came closer, I noticed that his eyes were the same crimson as Atem's.

He took his seat beside me and stared to fix his things. Shaking my head slightly as if to remove myself from my daze, I decided to make the first move.

"Seto Kaiba." I announced confidently, extending my hand.

He seemed surprised by my gesture though, for he stared at my hand for a few seconds before smiling ang taking it. "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Kaiba. I'm Yami Moutou."

I smirked at him though it wasn't as cold as usual. "So I've heard. And please, call me Seto."

"Very well Seto, call me Yami."

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**Fury:** Like it? Hate it? I would absolutely love to hear from you guys so PLEASE REVIEW!

As always, any kind of review is welcome although flames would not be taken seriously. Flamers, you have been warned!


	2. all it takes is a bump in the noggin

**Fury: **I'm baaaack! How long has it been since I last posted? checks calendar Whoa, it has been that long? OO Well, I'm really, really sorry everyone. Blame mind block! (And homeworks, quizzes, projects, reports, deadlines – well, you get the idea XD)

But enough about me. Now I want to give the spotlight to… my lovely reviewers! -moves a very convenient spotlight to the reviewers- I wouldn't have the encouragement to write this chapter if it wasn't for these awesome people:

**Mewchoochoo **- -falls for gigantic puppy eyes- since you can't wait anymore, here it is!

**Gbheart **-thanks for being one of my first reviewers. I hope you like this chapter as much as the first!

**Blue September **- it may seem kinda weird, but I just find young love adorable! -squeals at young Seto and Atem- They just seem so innocent!

**Yami Val **- I totally agree with you. Prideshipping forever!

**cherry fantasy **- here's the chapter you've been waiting for!

**Nimbirosa** - er, sorry for the confusion. I'll be much clearer next time!

**AngelicTransmission-Yamira **- omg, you're luvin' this story already? I'm so happy!

**dragonlady222 **- thanks for liking this!

This chapter's for all of you guys! XD

**Extra Note: **I've noticed that the first chapter got **a lot** of you confused, especially with the timeline and the ages of the characters (sorry for that!), so I'm going to make this clear: LAOA won't follow the exact canon, I just be getting some general facts (like Seto being CEO of Kaiba Corp.), and the rest would be based purely on my own – often whacked-up – imagination. In short, this story would be an **AU**, so don't be surprised that some things would be off. Just wanting to make that clear:D

**Disclaimer:** Yugioh I own not…

**Warnings: **Beware of plotlessness (is there such a word?) and out-of-character… er, charcters! I had to do this quickly and at the latest of nights, so I'm not really sure how it turned out. You be the judge!

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**Chapter 2:** **All It Takes is a Bump in the Noggin**

If there was one subject that I hated the most in the world, it would be History.

I mean, come on, who would want to study about some dead guy who lived in some ancient place no one knows about who did something so 'important' that the world as we know it wouldn't be the same without him?

Well, Yami apparently.

So far in the last thirty minutes, Yami was the only one who was listening to the teacher in front. Everyone else was chatting, sleeping, or doing some thing that I don't even want to describe. I myself only lasted for about ten minutes, before I resigned and finally pulled out my laptop to start working on a report for a meeting later at lunch.

While waiting for some records to be downloaded from the Kaiba mainframe, I took a glance at Yami. Yep, he was still glued to the teacher, his crimson eyes shining with wonder and interest. I got to admit, he looked kinda cute that way, like a child being told a favorite fairy tale of dragons and princesses and magic.

'_Cute? CUTE?!' _that annoying voice inside my head was back again. _'Seto Kaiba, what are you thinking? You barely know the person for a day and you're already hitting on him? Are you crazy??'_

'_Maybe I am. Look, why do you care? It's my life after all,'_ I answered. I could imagine the voice sighing in frustration.

'_As much as I hate it, it's still my job to care. If you haven't realized yet, I'm your voice of reason. Your conscience.'_

I laughed inwardly. _'I don't have a conscience.'_

The voice made a tsk-ing sound. _'Of course you do. Every person has, even the great Kaiba. Now, you better listen when I say that you stop ogling at the guy and focus your attention on your work. See? Your files are all downloaded already. '_

'_Don't change the subject,'_ I thought, _'Besides, what makes you think that I would listen to you?'_

'_Haven't you been listening to anything that I just said?'_

'_No, not at all.' _

'_Then let me refresh your memory: I'm your sense of reason. I know what's bad and what's good for you. For example, Yami: bad, stocks: good.'_ It said the last few lines in an irritatingly slow and mocking voice.

'_Oh yeah? Well, I have only one thing to tell you.'_

'_What?'_

'_Shut up.' _

I was half-expecting a tirade of retorts directed towards me, but surprisingly the voice actually obliged and kept its mouth closed. Well that ended it. I heaved another sigh as I looked at my right. Yami was now busy taking down notes, his head going up occasionally to look at the teacher.

He must have sensed that I was staring at him for the pen he was holding paused in its frantic dance across his notebook. His head slowly turned to my direction, ruby eyes amused.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Seto?" Yami asked in politeness, though he couldn't seem to hide the smirk growing on his lips.

I blinked. "No, of course not. Everything's just…" I hesitated while looking at him all over. Everything's perfect; you're perfect, that was what I wanted to say.

Of course, I would never, ever, say that in front of the whole class, lest I wanted to be humiliated. Humiliation is one option I wouldn't even _think_ of considering. I have a reputation to uphold here, you know.

"Seto?"

"Everything's just fine, Yami."

No. That thought will just have to wait.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"What do you mean they're canceling it?"

"_I'm sorry Mr. Kaiba, sir. The president of Virtual Gaming Inc. called a while ago, sir. He said that your proposal was too high, sir."_ My secretary on the other line blabbered nervously.

"Too high? They're the fifth most powerful company in Japan, for god's sakes! Surely _a couple of billion dollars_ won't wipe out all their accounts. Besides, don't the idiots realize that by tying up with Kaiba Corp., they'll instantly go up in the market?"

"_Mr. Yamada said that if his company gave that amount of money, he'll be practically selling his company to you, sir."_

"Well, that _was_ the idea…"

"_But Mr. Kaiba, sir –" _

"Fine, cancel the damn meeting, as if I care. Just tell him that don't go crawling to my door begging when our stocks go through the roof. I've wasted enough time for him and his stupid company already," I growled at the receiver before ending the conversation with a flip of my phone.

Hiding my phone in the pocket of my school trousers, I was grumbling under my breath about "stupid investors" and "lousy cheapskates" when a strong, sudden force hit me and knocked me to the tiled, concrete floor.

_THUD_

"Oof!"

"Ow!"

I groaned softly as the back of my head made contact with concrete, brightly colored dots danced in front of my vision as I stared at the white ceiling. The sound of the impact was still ringing in my ears, echoing and quite unnerving. I was feeling the signs of an upcoming migraine when a blurred shadow came into view. I couldn't make out much of it because of the light and my throbbing head except that it was spiky and on top of me.

Warm hands held my face on each side as blood red flooded my vision. The pair of angular orbs showed a mixture of embarrassment and worry as they peered into my unfocused eyes. Their owner seemed to be saying something.

"Oh Ra… so sorry… didn't see… okay?" was all I could make out.

"Who…?"

"It's Yami…"

So it was him. "Yami… What happened?" I asked while trying to sit up.

"I'mreallyreallysorrySetoIwasjustlookingforyoubecauseIwantedtotellyousomethingimportantbutIdidn'tlookwhereIwasgoingsowhenIturnedthecorner – " I held up my hand to cut the onslaught. Yami explaining what happened wasn't a good idea after all. Now the headache just worsened and add to that, a great urge of nausea suddenly came.

"No, stop… getting worse… clinic…" I tried to be sensible enough without throwing up all over Yami. He seemed to get it though, and even helped me on my feet by holding onto my waist and wrapping my left arm over his shoulders. I was mildly surprised that he was able to support my entire weight, being that he was not of the muscular type.

Still, without much effort he was able to drag both of us to the school infirmary, which was a good two corridors away. He was silent the whole time and I was thankful for that. I don't think I would be able to stand any more noise before I break and make a mess out here.

Slowly but surely we were able to reach our destination. Opening out the door, Yami gingerly helped me inside the small room. The infirmary wasn't that big, but it was spacious enough to accommodate a few beds, a desk for the nurse, and cabinets filled with medicines and bandages.

With Yami's help, I was able to lie down on the bed nearest us, the feather pillow providing some comfort to my sore head. He looked at me, his eyes still filled with the same sheepishness as earlier.

"Thank you," I murmured, trying to relive some of the tension he was feeling. I think it worked, for his guilty face broke into a small smile.

"You wait here; I'm going to call for the nurse," he said before promptly vanishing through the sliding door of the nurse's office.

'_As if I had any other choice,'_ I thought grimly, taking the time to rest after a whole sleepless week.

But the silence was short-lived. I opened my eyes at the sound of the door sliding to reveal Yami, with a kind-looking woman close behind. The said persons walked towards the direction of my bed, Yami sitting down on a wooden chair beside me while the woman began fussing over my head.

"My, my, what a big bump you got there," the nurse remarked, handing over a bag of ice. "How did you get that beastie?"

I took the bag and pressed it against the back of my head. Oh god, this feels really good.

"Seto's got nothing to do with it, it was my fault. I wasn't looking to where I was going, that's why I knocked him down," Yami answered before I was able to say anything. His face was downcast so I couldn't see his expression but I could sense the guilt around him.

I shook my head. "Of course it's not your fault, Yami. It was just an accident, that's all."

"But if I wasn't blind enough to watch where I went, I wouldn't have bumped into you and leave you in a state like this, all nauseous and aching." Yami said, waving a hand in my direction to prove his statement.

Although I know that what he meant was good, I couldn't help but be annoyed. Good-looking or not, no one – and I mean _no one_ – has the right to pity Seto Kaiba. In any way. Concern I could stand, but being pitied at was another thing. Try doing that, and you'll get yourself a sure one-way ticket to painsville compliments from me.

Trying not to lose myself, I stood up from the bed and looked down on Yami's still bowed form. "Yami, quit being stupid and listen to me. What happened was inevitable; no one could have foreseen that predicament. I myself wouldn't have predicted that fall from happening, that's why it's called an accident. Besides, it's in the past. No matter how much self-wallowing you put yourself into, it won't change a thing. Understand?"

"What if it got worse? What if you get a concussion? Or you become amnesic? Or a hemorrhage develops and you suddenly die? Or your blood clots and it gets bigger and bigger and bigger until you can't hold it anymore that your head explodes _and then_ you die?" Great, this is just what I needed, Yami getting all sadistic with me. Tell me again how does that supposedly make me feel better?

"First off, it's not going to be worse. I simply fell and bumped my head on the floor, which I do think would not be as fatal as you seem to imagine. Second, thank you for your concern but I assure you that I'm not planning my funeral rites anytime soon. I still have a lot of plans for my company and for my brother that dying isn't one of my priorities yet. And third," I paused to breathe before continuing, "please stop with the self-pity shit. You didn't do anything on purpose but by insisting that you did, you are regretfully getting on my nerves, and believe me when say that you do _not_ want to be on my nerve."

I was still fuming from that sudden outburst when a voice pulled me back to reality. "Um… Yes… well, I'll just get some Paracetamol for that headache of yours, Mr. Kaiba. Please just wait here with your… companion; I'll be back in a minute." And with that she disappeared behind the curtain that separated the clinic and the main pharmacy. Despite what she said though, clearly she had no intention of returning any time soon after that… exchange of heated statements.

After a few seconds of letting out some steam, I sat back down on the edge of the bed. All that yelling and arguing didn't help with my condition as the throbbing came back at full force, almost unbalancing me. But my musings were cut short again as a small, yet distinct, sound broke the silence.

I turned my head every which direction I knew until the sound faded. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I knew I wasn't imagining things and I was _definitely_ sure that there were no ghosts in this room, even if I believed in such things in the first place.

My presumptions were confirmed as I heard the sound again, but this time I discovered its source. I looked at the figure before me, head bowed, same as before. But what was different now what that his shoulders were trembling, his hands grasping the edge of his seat, knuckles turning white with the effort to keep himself steady. Also the occasional sobbing was evident; growing louder and louder as he slowly lost his composure.

I stared wide-eyed at the breaking Yami before me, not really knowing what to do or even what to say. Oh my god, you've really done it this time Kaiba, breaking your old records for both the fastest time and the least effort to meet a person and then make them shatter and cry.

Not knowing what to do whatsoever, I merely crossed my fingers (figuratively, of course) and decided to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

"Uhh… Yami, are you alright?"

I mentally slapped myself once the words rolled of my tongue. What kind of question was that? Even the mutt could have said something better. It was obvious that he was far from okay, and it was because of me. But what can you expect? I'm a businessman, not a psychiatrist.

So in an effort to console him, I knelt down in front of his chair and said gently, "Look, I'm sorry for what I said a while ago. Forget all that crap; I really wasn't quite myself during that outbreak. The headache must have been acting up on me, and I just… you know… If I could take back all that I said, I would, Yami. Believe me."

I reached out and softly grasped his chin, slowly pulling his head up so I could see his face. The sorrowful sight weighed down my heart even more that I added in utmost sincerity, "Forgive me?"

It was more of a request than a question. I stared hopefully at his eyes, those eyes that still tried to avoid mine as he silently pondered on my remorse. I couldn't do anything anymore; it's all up to him now. If he decides not to forgive me, well, let's just say I just ruined any chances of getting to know Yami more.

But Lady Luck seemed to be at my side that day because a pair of ruby reds finally caught my gaze, tears planned to fall quickly retreating. A hand went up to brush away the tear tracks on flushed cheeks. Another hand rose, but this time, it took hold of my outstretched arm, lithe fingers wrapping themselves around my wrist.

"I'll forgive you anytime, Seto," Yami said with a smile, and I knew he was sincere as well.

"That's great."

"Just promise me you won't shout like that again, unless it's extremely necessary," he added with a smirk, the glint in his eyes turning into playfulness, "Or you'll have to deal with more than tears."

I pretended to gasp in fear. "Oh no, the great Yami has threatened to unleash his fury on poor Seto! What am I supposed to do? Gods help me!"

"Shut up," he laughed, hitting me in the arm. I laughed as well, enjoying this short moment with him.

If anyone had ever entered my office and told me that I would be laughing and joking around in public before all of this happened, I would have gladly yelled at his face and had him thrown out of the room, because that person was truly delusional and needed a life of his own.

But here I was now, laughing my heart's content with a man whom I've met just hours ago, and yet it feels we've known each other even before time itself dawned.

Call me crazy, and I won't give a damn about you. All I know is that, whatever this is, I hope it would never disappear.

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**Fury: **I hope no one got confused in this one as much as the first chapter, I tried to make this as sensible as I can (though I doubt that would do much XD). This chapter also contained (in my opinion) complete randomness and ooc characters. I hope you guys are okay with that, right?

And in return for sticking to the story even after posting this chapter waaaay behind schedule, I'll give you guys a heads-up to what might be happening next time!

**In the Next Chapter (?):** Our two soon-to-be lovebirds get closer after a day in the arcade with Mokuba and the gang. But who's this new guy named Ryu and why does Seto feel so strongly for him?

That's it for now! -evil laugh- I bet all of you are now wondering who "Ryu" is and if he'll be a reason for Seto to forget Yami. -more evil laugh- who knows? Well, I do XD, but I won't be saying any more so I'll leave you guys to your own guesses (no matter how wild they may be) until the next chapter – and for that chapter to appear, **please review!**


	3. but I thought

**Fury:** Chapter three! Yay! XD

Thank you's to all my reviewers, especially the ones who've been reviewing since the first chapter. I'll never tire of saying that you are the best because you guys are simply the B-E-S-T!!! Oh, and special mention to **dragonlady222**, with whom I borrowed an idea from for this chapter. I dedicate this to all of you!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh

"words" – regular dialogue or words spoken aloud

"_words"_ – someone on the other end of the phone line

'_words' _– thoughts

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**Chapter 3: But I thought…**

After that unusual and quite surprising incident in the clinic, things had been going smoothly between Yami and me. Sure, a couple of roughs and tumbles occurred once in a while courtesy of a certain dog and a friendship drill sergeant, but over-all, everything was going uphill. We'd spend breaks together, walk in the hallways together, seat beside each other when our schedules dictate that we would be taking the same classes – which happened almost all the time since we shared History, Homeroom, Physics, Lab, Literature, and Drama. It even went as far as me offering him a ride home whenever my workload permits it.

Though my stubborn pride would never allow myself to concede Yami being someone like a friend, I couldn't ignore the fact that he meant more than Yugi and his companions could ever become. In my opinion, Yugi-tachi were only frequently-met strangers that I would be glad to see less of; Katsuya the least of all.

It was a different matter with my brother, however. Mokuba still meant more than the world to me, nothing and no one could change that – it's a fact. The reason was simple: both of us had gone through Hell and back in order to acquire what we have today that our bond, which still grew stronger after that bastard of a stepfather and his equally damnable son, would also continue through, and beyond, death.

With those said, I could state that Yami is sort of in the middle. Not a friend, mind you, but more of a… close acquaintance, if you need a term to name it.

Besides, brotherly love like the one I had for Mokuba wasn't the same with what I was feeling for Yami.

So what was I exactly feeling? I don't know.

It wasn't love for a brother, nor was it deep annoyance and resentment, the only two kinds of emotions I showed and felt for others ever since I could remember.

Well, excluding _that_ time, but I don't want to dig deeper into the issue. Now's not the time or place to discuss such things of the past, for we must concentrate on what is happening now, like…

Like…

_Ring._

Like…

_Ring. Ring._

Like the phone ringing.

"I'll get it," Mokuba said, running over to where the telephone was located. There was a pause where Mokuba was talking with whoever was on the other end before he covered the receiver with his free hand. "Seto, it's for you."

I raised an eyebrow. Since when did people start calling to speak to me? I always conducted business with my associates using either my cell phone or the one in my office, which of course had a different number than the ones in the mansion. This is certainly a first.

"Are you sure it's for me?" I queried.

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Is there anyone else in this whole house named Seto?"

"Tell them they got the wrong number."

"Or in the rest of the world's population, for that matter?"

"What make you sure no one else is named Seto? It's not like the name's jinxed or something."

"Ha ha, you could have gotten away with that, big brother, but he's specifically asking for Seto _Kaiba_."

"Tell him I'm not here then, in a far away place with no certain date to return."

"Too late," Mokuba smirked, "I already told him that you were here. Look, will you just get the damn phone already? My arm's stiff and it's impolite to make the person wait." Boy, was he getting good in this little game of wits.

"So is swearing," I retorted, taking the phone from him. I could just see Mokuba growing up to be a Kaiba I would be proud of. He just shrugged in response as I placed the receiver onto the base of my ear.

"What do you want?" I harshly spoke into the receiver.

"_Someone woke up in the wrong side of the bed today. Hello to you too, Seto. It's Yami." _The voice in the other end said. Ever since we started hanging out together, Yami became more used to my personality and even developed a few quirks himself. He wasn't the sensitive, cry-baby type anymore. Now he was spunkier and wittier.I was relieved when I figured that out. I wasn't too keen on spending time with a walking-talking human fountain.

"Oh it's you."

"_Yes, it's me,"_ he answered sarcastically. _"Why, were you expecting a special someone else? You could tell me, you know. I'm good at keeping secrets… most of the time."_

I chose to ignore that last part. "Well? You haven't answered my question yet."

"_What question?"_

"The one I asked you earlier, of course. Was there any else?"

"_Oh, that one. I thought that was your way of greeting someone on the phone,"_ Yami laughed. _"Well if you must know, I called to ask if you wanted to join Yugi and me to the arcades this afternoon. There's no real occasion, just for us to celebrate surviving the first month of school…_"

"What makes you think I would want to come along?" I sneered.

The line fell silent for a moment. _"Do you have any other plans later?"_

"No. Today's my day-off; though at least that's what Mokuba keeps on telling me this whole day."

"_Then I don't see any reason for you_ not _to come," _Yami said triumphantly, as if that settled it. _"Come on Seto, it's going to be really fun, I promise. You could bring along your brother if you want, I'm sure Yugi won't mind. Ain't I right, Yugi?"_

I heard Yugi's voice agree in the background. _"Did you hear that? He said he wouldn't mind if you bring Mokuba along."_

"Of course I heard him. I'm not deaf, thank you very much."

Yami just laughed. _"Whatever you say, Seto. So now that I answered your question, it's your turn. Tell me, who's the lucky girl?" _

"Huh?"

"_Oh, I see. Let me rephrase my question then… who's the lucky_ guy_?" _I could sense that arrogant smirk of his now.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I almost yelled at the receiver, flushed.

"_You know what I'm talking about,"_ Yami said suggestively, _"Of course, it's fine if don't want to tell me now, I can wait until you're ready to. I mean, any news concerning _the_ Seto Kaiba will be surely worth the wait, most especially if it's his love life being talked about." _

My face heated up even more. "If you are imposing that I have a secret lover, you can just chuck that idea out the window because I currently have no time for such things."

Yami tsk-ed. _"That's a shame. An attractive guy like you should already have men and women swooning all over you in every direction, and make no mistake; you already do have groupies in school. I couldn't blame them though; I personally think that you're one, hot guy."_

It was a good thing I wasn't drinking anything or else it would've gone up my nose, although I couldn't help but choke still. "Excuse me? Yami, are you delusional or just being an ass?"

"_Relax, I was kidding. Jeez, you need to loosen up Seto, you're too stiff,"_ Yami said. _"Oops, I gotta go. Ryu's waiting for me. Bye!" _

I was about to ask who Ryu was when Yami suddenly ended the call. Intrigued and a bit stunned, I put down the phone before turning around only to be faced by an amused-looking Mokuba.

"Dare I ask what's so funny?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

"It depends on where you want me to start," Mokuba answered back, the glint in his eyes spelling mischief.

"Start from the beginning."

"Do you promise you won't kill me first?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "If you don't start talking soon I just might consider it."

"Killing me or promising not to kill me?"

"The former one."

"You can't do that. It's against the law." Mokuba smirked, "You're going to wind up in prison."

I flashed a smirk that rivaled his. "So what? I have enough money and power to make your case disappear, including all witnesses and evidences, that they won't have a speck of proof against me. Ever heard of manipulation and bribery? It's quite an easy and popular game these days, you know."

Mokuba's eyebrow rose. "You could be quite frightening sometimes, you know that Seto?"

"It's a gift. Now, spill out whatever you're supposed to say before I shake it out of you myself."

My brother raised both hands in defeat. "Fine, you win. I was amused merely because of how you looked talking to the phone. If I had a camcorder a while ago you'll be able to understand. Seriously, you were like blushing all over the place!"

"I wasn't blushing," I stated indignantly.

"Yes, you were."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

"Okay, enough with that reverse psychology nonsense," I snapped, "It may work on your dim-witted friends but it certainly won't work for me, so stop trying."

Mokuba chuckled. "Yeah, you're right; they're much easier to fool than a stubborn brother," he broke off as he dodged a throw pillow I was trying to hit him with. "Though you still can't deny the fact that you actually blushed; while speaking over your first actual phone conversation, nonetheless."

"Alright smart-mouth, your room now." I ordered, pointing upstairs. "I'll have someone call you down later before we go out to the arcades with Yugi and Yami."

"If you insist," Mokuba replied, taking the first few steps up the staircase before turning back to me again. "Oh, and Seto, before I forget…"

"What is it?"

"When are you going to introduce your lover to your favorite brother, eh?"

"Right after I finish him off. Go to your room NOW!" I growled.

Mokuba's hurried steps against the wood reverberated around the spacious hall, their owner eager to escape my mounting temper. As the footsteps finally faded away, I slumped down on one of the nearby sofas, slowly running my hand down my face.

For the nth time, I felt my cheeks burning. Never before have had I blushed this many times in less than an hour, in all my waking days. And it's all because of Yami and his stupid phone call. I glared out the window, though not really seeing. I must remember to thank him later, Seto Kaiba style.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"You called, Master Kaiba?"

"Yes, I did. Kindly tell Mokuba that we're about to leave in five minutes. You'll find him in his room, most probably playing one of his video games."

"As you wish," the butler said, giving a curt bow, before closing the door behind him.

Once the old man was gone, I looked over myself once more in the mirror, discerning the attire I was currently wearing. Judging by the looks of it, it was clearly obvious that Mokuba was the one who picked them out for the clothes were too casual for my taste.

After careful consideration, I finally decided that the outfit wasn't half bad after all. That, and that Mokuba had good taste in clothes. Shrugging, I made my way out of my room to find Mokuba waiting in the living room.

"So you finally wore the clothes I gave you for your last birthday," Mokuba commented once I descended the stairs. "I told you, you would look good in them."

I shrugged. "I couldn't find anything else to wear for our destination. Everything I owned, even the more informal ones, was too smart to be seen in an arcade, and then I finally found these," I said, gesturing to the clothes I was wearing.

"Well, it's a good thing you found them then. I'm not up for the idea of my brother walking around in the mall wearing a business suit, to tell you the truth; besides, you look _way_ better in casual, it makes you look more of a teen and less of a tycoon."

"Gee, thanks for the compliment," I answered dryly. "We better get a move along though, traffic's hell during weekends."

"We should take one of your cars. A limo would be a terrible idea today," Mokuba added. "Of course, I get to pick which one we'll use."

I rolled my eyes. "You always do."

"I do, don't I?" he grinned, leading the way to the mansion's garage. I followed behind, giving reminders to servants who came to pass by to watch over the house while we were gone.

"So Mokuba, what's your fancy for this day?" I questioned once we arrived. I was very proud of this part of the mansion, for it housed my most valuable and expensive collection yet. Cars of all makes and types filled the space, tinted windows and well-waxed bodies glinting from the fluorescent lights, giving off an aura of luxury and power that exceeded even that of their price tags.

"Hmmm, that one," he decided, pointing to one of the cars near the garage doors. It was a silver sports car. Porsche, to be exact. Not one of my most expensive, but it boasted of such speed and beauty that I had to buy it the minute I saw it.

I nodded, unhooking the car keys before unlocking the car with two, short beeps. Mokuba got into the passenger seat first, me following shortly after. New-car smell entered my nose as I ignited the engine and revved it up, the thunderous noises music to my ears.

As I maneuvered the car out of the garage, Mokuba switched on the stereo, looking for his favorite station. He eventually found it, and began banging his head in time with the beat as rock music blared from the speakers.

I remained silent throughout the song, keeping my mind on the road as we passed shops and restaurants. It was only until the song had ended and another yet slower song started that I was reminded of a question that has been unnerving me since this morning.

"Mokuba?"

"Yeah?" he said, panting lightly as he settled back comfortably on his seat since his song was done.

"Has Yugi ever talked to you about someone named Ryu?"

"Ryu? I think he mentioned that name once or twice before but I'm not exactly sure. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. It's just that Yami brought up that name during our conversation without a proper explanation. All he said was that Ryu was 'waiting for him' or something along those lines," I said, keeping my face and voice as indifferent as I can.

"Now that you mentioned it, I do remember Yugi saying how Yami always gave his spare time to be with this guy that the only times he sees his cousin by himself is when he's doing homework or when he's at school," Mokuba said thoughtfully. "He doesn't seem to mind it though."

"That doesn't sound like Yugi. Did he tell you why he didn't mind?"

"Not really… wait, why do you seem so keen on knowing who this guy is?" Mokuba asked, looking to my direction. Darn, he must have suspected what I was meaning to do because his eyes had the 'I-know-that-you're-up-to-something-and-I'm-going-to-find-out' look in them.

"Do I need to have a reason to want to know a person better?" I defended, still avoiding his querying stare by concentrating on the road, though I can still feel it penetrating through the side of my head.

"Well, normal people usually do. Besides, never before were you interested in personally knowing a person, much less a stranger."

"There's a first time for everything," I replied nonchalantly.

"What if I told you that it was Bakura that Yami was seeing? Would that change your mind?"

Those words suddenly hit me like hot bullets that I momentarily lost control of the car and swerved to the opposite lane. Fortunately I was able to recover quickly without much damage except to my eardrums because of the angry horns and foul curses the drivers were screaming.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?!" I yelled, glaring wide-eyed at my brother who didn't seem to be shaken by the swerve at all. "Yami, and Bakura? Together? You can't be serious at all, can you?"

"My theory," was all he said.

Sighing, I refocused myself to where I was driving; trying hard to ignore the questions buzzing around my mind at the information Mokuba has given.

In my brother's point of view, you might have thought after that, I had considerably cooled down. Well, I myself would have guessed the same thing, except that my foot was slowly pressing down on the accelerator, letting more and more fuel enter the already roaring engine.

At 55 miles per hour, I was racing down the speedway intending to prove that theory wrong.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"What are _they_ doing here?"

By 'they,' I meant the Moutou posse that was currently standing in front of me. Now I knew the reason why the air reeked of ineptitude the moment Mokuba and I entered the mall.

"Yugi invited us too," Jounouchi spoke up. "Is anything wrong with that, huh, Kaiba?"

I flashed a deadly glare at the mutt's direction, which proved to be quite effective as he made a step back. The pair of icicles still bore through him as I said in my most dangerous voice, "_You_ don't speak when you're not being spoken to. In fact, don't speak at all; especially when you're referring to _me_, it makes you look more stupid. Am I clear, mutt?"

Jou visibly gulped as he quickly did a military salute, "Y-Yes Kaiba, sir!"

Honda shook his head as he watched his pitiful friend. He must be glad that he wasn't in the other's position. Anzu, however, had a scolding look on as her hands found their way to her hips.

Before she could utter a word though, I gave her a stare that clearly said 'Zip your mouth and you won't end up like him.' Her jaw shut. She seemed to have gotten the message alright.

As if on cue, Yugi approached. I was mildly surprised that he wasn't wearing the school uniform again, but shirt and jeans. Maybe it was just me who notices that the boy always wore the matching navy blue outfit every time, everywhere. I began to wonder if there was anything else in his wardrobe.

"Hey Kaiba, Mokuba," Yugi greeted merrily, "I'm so glad you were able to make it."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, whatever. Where's your cousin? Wasn't he the one who invited us to go here?"

"Yami? He's still paying. I was with him a while ago, but he told me to come back here instead."

"Where is he? I'll pay for mine and Mokuba's."

"You don't have to, it's on both of us," Yugi said, "Besides, he'll be fine, he's with Bakura."

I felt my body stiffen. So Yami's with Bakura now… Surprise surprise.

"Is something wrong Kaiba?" Yugi asked with concern, noticing the change.

Mokuba interjected. "Don't worry about Seto, Yugi. He's just thinking about something, but he should know better to think at some other place, right, Nii-sama?"

"…"

Mokuba elbowed my arm roughly. "Nii-sama."

I blinked. Mokuba rolled his eyes.

"Yami!" voiced a girl's shrill cry. Anzu was now enthusiastically waving at a person far ahead. I turned to where she was looking and sure enough, Yami was walking to our direction, with Bakura close – no, _too_ close – beside him.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting," Yami said apologetically.

"Yeah. We could have returned sooner if someone here hadn't had to take up so much time choosing between the individual and group offers, which were practically the same aside from their labels," Bakura said, with a purpose of annoying Yami.

"No, no. It's alright," Yugi smiled, being the peacemaker as always. Gesturing to Mokuba and me, he added, "Besides, Kaiba and Mokuba arrived right after you guys left, so we didn't get bored of waiting as much."

"Oh?" He looked at me as if noticing me standing here just now, and smirked. "You finally found some use Seto, being an entertainer. Keep it up."

Mokuba hid a snigger behind his hand, unlike Jounouchi who outright laughed out loud, earning some offended looks from passersby. Yugi had an amused smile on his face. I glared at all of them in turn before focusing on the teen in front of me. Crimson eyes held challenge under my cold gaze.

Bakura sighed. "Can we move along now people? We're burning daylight just standing here and chatting."

"Last one in is a senile old man!" Jou yelled. "Or woman!" he added, remembering Anzu.

Everyone raced inside – everyone except Yami, Mokuba, and I. I raised an eyebrow curiously at my brother, sending a mental question about why he didn't join the rest inside.

Mokuba shrugged and said, "I'm too old for that."

I snorted. "Says the thirteen-year old who still has a rubber ducky in his bathtub."

"Hey!"

"Ahem."

We both turned to the source of the sound. "The others would have already left us behind by now," Yami said. He then turned around and made his way towards the entrance.

I was about to follow when a curious sight stopped me from my tracks. Mokuba halted beside me as he looked up questioningly. "Seto?"

"Uhhh… Yami?"

The spiky-haired teen turned back at my call. "What is it?"

"Did it ever occur to you that there is a small boy holding on to your pant leg?" I asked.

Yami spun around and true enough, a young child was clinging on his leg, the fabric of his jeans grasped tightly in tiny fists.

At first, he looked as surprised as I was with the appearance of the child, but soon broke into laughter. I got even more confused as Yami bent down and picked up the child in his arms, the boy not complaining at all that he was being held by a stranger.

Puzzled, I walked over to Yami's side. The child had now wrapped an arm around the teen's neck and was staring at my brother and me with interested violet eyes.

"You know each other?" I asked.

"Oh damn, I forgot. I haven't properly introduced him to you yet." Yami said. "Seto, Mokuba, this is Ryu Moutou. Ryu, say hi to Uncles Seto and Mokuba."

The boy, Ryu, happily made an incoherent sound. I think that was his way of saying hello.

"Moutou? He's your brother then?" Mokuba inquired, playing with Ryu using his finger. Ryu seemed to like it very much and tried to catch the finger with his hands.

"My nephew," Yami corrected. "I brought him along from Egypt since my parents can't really take care of him with their busy schedules and all. They asked me if he could come along to Japan when I move here and of course I couldn't say no, so here he is."

"Wow. Your parents must be really thankful for having a son like you," Mokuba said in admiration.

"It really isn't as hard as you think; there are even times that it actually pays of taking care of a baby. Besides, I've been caring for him since… well, since forever that it's not something new anymore. I could say I literally grew up as a parent to him."

"Is that so? Where are his real parents then?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity anymore.

Yami smiled a strained smile that I instantly regretted asking the question. "They're both dead. His… mother died a few months before his first birthday. It was quite unexpected, really. The dad, on the other hand, well… we just presume he already died, since he wasn't exactly living with his family and we had no way of contacting him."

"I'm so sorry for bringing it up," I apologized truthfully, for I knew how it felt to lose one's parents at such a young age.

He shook his head. "It's alright. No one could have done anything to prevent it; I guess it was meant to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad that Ryu was still too young during that time to understand such a tragic thing in his life."

I merely nodded. After hearing Yami's story, I felt strongly guilty for whatever happened to his small family that I was suddenly at a loss for words.

"But enough about that! We should be celebrating. Isn't that the reason why we're here?" Yami exclaimed. I blinked at his sudden switch in mood, as if he was trying to find an excuse to hide something deeper.

He didn't even wait for an answer as he grabbed my right hand with his left and started dragging me, until we have finally entered the arcades. He still didn't let go of my hand as he searched around for our companions in the midst of all the people, twisting his neck here and there for any sign of a tri-colored head.

That hand felt soft and warm as it was enclosed in mine. Its shape fitted perfectly and comfortably, like it was meant to be there. A jolt ran up my spine at the thought.

"Da… da…"

I turned and instantly faced Ryu. The boy seemed to have been looking at me the whole time as a smile grew on his lips and his purple eyes shone with a strange light.

"Dada…"

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**Fury: **I think I'll just end it there. Whew, that was a pretty long chapter to write. 12 pages people (9 when single-spaced)!! I could say that this is the longest chapter I've written yet -pats herself on the back-, and the best one at that. Lol, it's my way of repaying you guys for making you wait for so long. XD

By the way, if you have any suggestions for the upcoming chapters or questions for this one, feel free to tell me and I'll be happy to answer you. Don't hesitate because I won't bite… unless you're Seto or Yami… -grins at the pair in the corner of the room-

**Seto and Yami:** -sweatdrops-

-tackles the both of them onto floor before glomping them up-

**Seto: -**in a muffled voice- Geroff… me… crazy woman!

**Fury: **What if I don't want to? -Hugs the brunette even more-

**Yami: -**gasps for air- Ryu… Help us!

**Ryu:** -giggles- Dada!

Please Review!


	4. lizards and purple elephants

Disclaimer: I no own Yugioh. If I did, Yami and Seto wouldn't be rivals but lovers having steamy scenes every time, all the time.

**Fury: **All I can say is that I'm really sorry for letting you guys hang there for so long. If there's still anyone out there that hasn't abandoned me yet, let me make up for it with this lengthy (if not long) chapter. Please enjoy.

**

* * *

Chapter 4: Lizards and Purple Elephants **

I quirked up my eyebrow at that single, uttered word. Did I just hear what I thought I heard?

"Dada?" I questioned Ryu, as if expecting the one-year old to answer back.

Really, who knew that same word could affect not only my concentration but my rationality as well?

"Returning to baby talk, Seto?" Yami teased, overhearing what I just said.

I sent him a glare. "I'm not talking like a baby. I merely repeated what that kid said."

"Dada!" Ryu said once more, giving the impression of understanding the conversation and as if wanting to help prove my defense.

"See?" I said, gesturing to the small brown-haired boy. "My point exactly."

"Well, I should thank you for helping Ryu learn a new word then," Yami said. Mokuba laughed.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said darkly, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh, but it _is_," he said in a seemingly truthful tone.

I had almost – stress on the word _almost_ – believed him, if not for that lopsided smirk adorning those lips and 'innocent' ruby eyes that were actually twinkling with trouble and sarcasm. God, if only it wasn't illegal to _kill_…

"Yami…" I started dangerously, feeling the old headache coming back.

"Here you are! We've been looking for the four of you everywhere," Yugi's voice interrupted, the boy suddenly appearing beside us along with the rest of his group.

"But weren't you the ones who just ran off and left us a while ago?" Mokuba asked.

Everyone turned towards him. Mokuba just shrugged. "Only stating the obvious here."

Jounouchi chuckled and patted his shoulder. The last nerve officially broke. Since when was the mutt allowed to touch my brother? At least he didn't seem as pleased with the dog as well.

"Of course, of course," Jou said, ever patting Mokuba. "But that doesn't matter now that we've found each other again. No one's fault to blame, eh?"

"And yet I remember clearly that it was you who suggested the 'race', making us separate into groups. Hence, I don't think I can agree with you on that it's nobody's fault, when it is actually your own doing in the first place." I interjected.

Jounouchi's face reddened but he didn't say anything. I smirked at him. How could I resist putting the dog in his place?

"Shut up, Kaiba. No one asked for _your_ opinion." His hand had slipped away from Mokuba's shoulder a long time ago and was now shaking at his side, balled into a fist.

I was about to retaliate when a soft hand squeezed mine. I looked down to find out I was still holding Yami's hand. Oddly enough, he didn't seem bothered by it.

"Guys, please. You're scaring the baby," Yami said.

True enough, half of Ryu's face was hidden against the crook of Yami's neck, his fearful eyes I could barely see. Letting go of his hand, I sighed before agreeing.

"Fine. But we're not through yet, mutt."

Jou scoffed. "Whatever, rich boy."

Looking around the arcade, an idea popped into my head.

"I know how we can settle this. Follow me." and adding as an afterthought, "If you're not scared."

"Who're you calling scared? Lead the way."

I smirked. "Suit yourself then."

I strode away from the group heading to some destination unknown to them. I didn't even wait to see if they were following as I knew that their curiosity would get the better of them.

**0o0o0o0o0**

"Here we are," I announced.

The mutt was looking at me weirdly. "Um, are you sure Kaiba?"

I raised my eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? Of course I'm sure."

"Really sure?" he looked quite uneasy.

I looked at him in angry confusion. "Why do you seem so hardheaded and skeptical about it?"

"Because…"

"Because what, mutt?"

Yugi offered to help. "Because you seem like the type that doesn't enjoy video games. Sure, you make them, but it never crossed our minds that you'd actually spend time _playing_ them."

The others nodded in agreement. I rolled my eyes at them. "Of course I also play. Who do you think makes sure that each and every game that the company releases is of the highest quality? Do you think I'll leave that crucial task to one of my inadequate employees?"

"No. But Mokuba could've been the one doing that."

"I do, but I'm the second opinion compared to Seto." Mokuba said. "I'm only his vice, after all."

"Oh. Let's carry on, then."

"About time." I answered cynically.

With no more indications of any further interruptions questioning my playing ability, I sat down in front of one of those racing simulation games and slotted two tokens into the machine. While I was waiting for the game to load, Jounouchi had already done the same and was now looking at me as he asked, "Any rules in mind?"

"A simple three-lap race in any track of your choosing. Cars can either be automatic or manual, although no customizations that can help win the game are allowed. That means no nitros or customized wheels or any of those shit."

"I get it, I get it. A simple race with simple cars." He said, rolling his eyes. "Sheesh, Kaiba, you sure know how to take the fun out when you don't want to lose."

"Whatever, and we'll see who'll be losing." I simply said, refocusing myself on the game screen. Knowing the mutt and his lack of talent in practically everything, this would be over in five minutes or less.

Needless to say, even without me going to details, I defeated the mutt in a time shorter than I had expected. Not only did the game end in only four minutes and thirteen seconds, but I also crippled the mutt to last place.

Smirking at my victory, I turned around to face a dumbfounded Jounouchi. "It seems like I won our argument."

Blinking multiple times rapidly, he came out of his shock to look at me heatedly. He didn't seem ready to give up just yet. "Best of three!" he declared.

Trust me when I say how tempting that prospect was, but I had to relent. Without even minding to answer, I stood up from my place and went to where Yami was standing. Giving him a small smirk, he responded with a smile.

"Hey, did you hear me, Kaiba?" the mutt called.

Turning back at him, I answered coldly. "Of course I heard you, idiot."

"Well, are you gonna play or not?"

"No. I find you pitiful enough."

"He's right you know." Honda spoke for the first time, surprising everyone, even myself.

"What?!" Jou exclaimed, not able to believe what his friend was saying.

"No offense, Jou, but Kaiba's right. You look sorry enough."

"I have to agree with that too, sorry." Anzu said.

"Same here." Bakura agreed.

"You guys…" the mutt whined. "You all supposed to be at my side, not his!"

"We're just looking out for you, Jou." Yugi said. That seemed like the final blow for the mutt. He began rocking in his seat, his head bowed and his body curled into a ball.

"You guys are mean…" he mumbled. Everyone sighed at his sensitivity. I rolled my eyes at his naivety.

After letting him wallow in his self-inflicted misery for a few seconds, Yugi approached his friend and patted him on the shoulder. "Why don't we have a game this time, Jou?"

"Yeah. Seeing as you have no way of beating Kaiba in any way – ow!" Bakura wasn't able to finish as Anzu pinched him in the arm.

"You guys really want to?" the mutt finally said, raising his head.

"We wouldn't be asking if we were only lying." Yugi laughed. Everyone nodded in acquiescence. Invigorated by his friends' encouragements, the mutt suddenly jumped back to life and announced confidently, "Everyone, get ready to eat my dust!"

Shaking my head at their lame dramatics, I left my brother who was busy engaging with them to find some place where they wouldn't be able to follow and I can be left alone.

"Where are you going, Seto?" Yami caught up.

"Anywhere away from them." I said shortly before looking down at him and adding, "Shouldn't you be there?"

He shook his head. "I'm not obliged to stay with them all the time. Besides, I wanted to accompany you to where you're going. You might get lost here, you know."

"On the contrary," I said. "You're the new one in town, last time I checked."

"I know my way around here. I've been in Domino for more than a month, thank you very much." Yami chided lightly. Then he continued in a more serious tone, "You seem to be in a bad mood lately, Seto."

"What makes you say that?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well," Yami started, raising the hand that wasn't holding the baby in order to count off his points. "You've been glaring at Yugi's friends since you got here, especially at Anzu and Jounouchi; you kept on saying nasty remarks about them, especially Jou; and you kept on calling Jou 'mutt'. What's up with all that?"

"Nothing." At Yami's unconvinced look, I added, "I just get easily pissed around them, that's all."

"How come?"

I took a quick glance at him. "You'll understand when you start feeling your brain cells decreasing in amount in their presence."

Yami laughed. I couldn't help but smile a little. "They _can_ be pretty childish at times."

"More like idiotic, if you ask me."

He laughed some more. When he finally calmed himself down, he said, "That's why I like hanging around you more, Seto."

I felt my pulse jump. "Oh?"

"Yeah. You're a hundred times more mature than any of them, even Yugi. I mean, I do enjoy their easy-going and light attitudes once in a while, but I'm more into – how can I say this – rational conversations like those I have with you." He explained.

I have known that fact myself for a long time, but hearing it from Yami somehow turns it into a whole different thing. Not knowing how to respond, all I was able to say was, "I see."

We continued walking around the arcade in silence when Yami suddenly grabbed my arm to stop me. Gesturing to the direction of the stuffed-toy grabbing machine, he said. "We want to try that out."

"We?"

He nodded as he partially dragged me to the said machine. "Yes. Ryu and I."

"Oh." I answered blankly. "Alright."

Peering closely into the mechanism's fiberglass, Yami examined the stuffed animals waiting to be caught. Since there was a whole assortment of the creatures in all colors, I had to wait for him to make his choice.

Finally, he pointed to something near the back. "We want that one."

I looked in as well. "The monkey?"

Yami snorted. "No. I meant the purple elephant beside it."

"Why not that one?" I suggested, indicating the blue dragon-like animal sitting near the grabbing arm. "That's easier to get."

He seemed to think over it for a while before shaking his head. "I don't like lizards." He said, scrunching up his nose.

"It's a dragon."

"Same thing."

I looked at him weirdly, partially because I was rather attached to the mythical creature and partly because I couldn't see the semblance between a dragon and a lizard. "No they're not. Dragons have wings and can breathe fire. Lizards just walk on the ground."

"They both have scales, those weird, clawed feet, and dragons are just overgrown lizards with bat wings. I say that's enough to make them the same." He pointed out.

I rolled my eyes. "I can't believe we're arguing about stuffed animals."

"All the same. And we're not arguing, it's called having a creative discussion." Yami grinned.

I shook my head in amusement. "Fine, we'll get the elephant if that's what you really want, though I still think the dragon's much better."

"Whatever you want to believe." He said. Then out of nowhere, he held out Ryu in front of me. "Listen, can you hold him for just a minute?"

"Why?" I asked, taken by surprise by the question.

"What do you mean 'why'? I'm going to get the elephant out of course, dummy."

Looking warily at the boy, I only nodded in obedience. Holding the baby awkwardly with my two hands, I suddenly remembered how I used to hold Mokuba when he was still an infant. Using that piece of information I moved Ryu in a more comfortable position in my arms.

The baby giggled as he realized I was the one now holding him. "Dada!"

"Great." Yami said, approving my handling of the baby. "Now, for the elephant."

Slotting a token into the machine, I watched intently as Yami nimbly controlled the mechanical arm to hover above the purple toy. Concentrating and making sure that the grabbing hand was directly on top of the elephant, he finally pressed the button which lowered the arm towards the plaything. When the hand finally enclosed around the stuffed toy, I released the breath I was unconsciously holding.

"Yay!" Yami exclaimed when he grabbed his prize as it came out from the chute. Turning to Ryu, he held out the toy, to which the boy eagerly reached for. "Like it? Here you go."

Ryu gurgled happily as he hugged the elephant tight. Both Yami and I smiled warmly at the sight before I asked, "I thought you wanted that?"

"I do, but it's for Ryu really." He shrugged.

I remained silent while I thought it over. "Can you hold Ryu again for a while?" I decided.

Yami raised an eyebrow in question but said nothing else as he took Ryu back from me. The baby was busy with his new toy so he wasn't bothered at all being passed around.

"What are you doing?" Yami asked as he now watched me maneuvering the mechanical arm towards the blue dragon from before. I was able to grab it quickly since it just sat near the opening of the chute where the arm rested.

Grabbing it quickly when it fell from the chute, I handed it over to Yami who had a surprised expression on his face. "Have this instead." I said.

He just stared at it for a while, not doing anything. Coming out of it, he looked at me and said, "But it's yours. I can't just take it."

"Yes you can. I got it for you."

"Erm, okay." He answered, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. Taking the dragon from me, he added, "This doesn't change my mind about lizards, though."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "For the last time, it's a dragon, not a lizard."

"Fine, fine. It's a _dragon_ then." Yami said sarcastically. Cuddling the stuffed toy between himself and Ryu, he then said, "But seriously, thanks."

"Don't mention it." I muttered, turning my head away as I felt the heat rising in my face. "Shall we go back to the others now?"

"Yeah, I think we should." Yami agreed.

By the time we got back to Yugi and the others, they seemed to have already finished their game, though the mutt still looked crestfallen. Everyone else was around him to cheer him up but he just ignored them all.

"What's up with him?" Yami asked when we got near enough.

Yugi turned and smiled. "Oh, you two are back. Well, Jou lost again and, as you can see, he's not taking it very well."

"Look, Jou. You weren't the only one who lost to Mokuba. All of us did, and you don't see _us_ complaining." We overheard Anzu saying resignedly. At this, I went over to where my brother was standing and asked, "Is it true, Mokuba?"

Mokuba just shrugged. "I can't help it if I won."

I shook my head. "Don't disclaim yourself. Great job." I smirked.

"Shut up Kaiba, you're so not helping." Jou suddenly said. Facing Anzu he added, "Of course you're not complaining, _you_ didn't get beaten by two Kaiba's in just one day."

"Just forget about it." She said.

"No I won't!"

"Why are you being so hard? You're acting like a kid again." Yugi said, shaking his head.

The mutt was about to retort when an odd, growling sound was heard in the recesses of his stomach. A moment's silence followed the noise, at which everyone was looking either stunned or confused at the sudden interruption, which was broken by a small snicker proceeded by varying chortles of laughter.

"Why don't we go to McDonald's?" Yugi suggested in behalf of his friend's apparent hunger. "I know one that's near here."

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

It was already darkening outside by the time we arrived at the restaurant, and as expected, most people had gone off to have early dinner, filling the place almost to the brim. Luckily there was a vacant table big enough to accommodate our group near where we were standing so there wasn't much hassle as to where we would be eating. What we had to eat was the next question.

"I'll have my usual burger meal!" the mutt exclaimed, completely forgetting his disappointed state a moment back.

"Me too!" Yugi, Bakura, Mokuba, and Honda intoned simultaneously.

"I'll go for their spaghetti." Anzu said.

"How about you?" I asked, directing my question to Yami.

"I'll have what Yugi ordered."

I nodded. "I'll have it as well then."

Yugi then caught everyone's attention by clearing his throat. "Guys, everyone has to fork up for their meals because this won't be free, you know."

"Hey, I thought today was your and Yami's treat?" Bakura asked.

"The arcade was, not food."

Grumbling slightly, everyone handed over their payments to Yugi who had his hands outstretched. I had just given mine and Mokuba's parts when I noticed Yami wasn't taking anything from his pocket.

"Is something wrong?" I had to ask.

"This is kind of embarrassing to say, but," Yami paused, pursing his lips and blushing lightly. "Could I borrow some money from you? I seemed to have run out treating everyone today. I swear I'll return it tomorrow."

"That's it?" At his nod, I smirked as I continued. "No problem. And there's no need to pay me back, consider it as my pleasure."

Handing over the said sum, Yugi interjected. "Wanna treat me too, Kaiba? I'm broke as well from the arcades."

"You really want an answer for that?" I glared coldly, but one reproaching look from Yami made me think otherwise. Sighing, I said, "Fine. Whatever."

"How about me, Kaiba?" Anzu said.

"No."

"Yeah. You're rich enough to treat us all." Bakura continued.

"No."

"C'mon, moneybags, at least treat me." Said the mutt.

"Hell no." I stated flatly.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because I said so. Can't you understand simple English?"

"But you treated Yami and Yugi!"

"I did. So what?"

"So that means you have to treat us too!" the mutt pressed on, as if that concluded his argument.

"I don't see your logic in that." I scoffed.

He opened his mouth to say something when Yugi cut him off just in time, as always. "Jou, come help me out with carrying the food, will you?"

Caught by the sudden change of subject, Jou only replied with as he stood up, "Er, yeah. Sure."

As they both left, Yami turned to me and whispered, "You sure do like arguing with the mutt – I mean Jou."

I feigned to not notice his little slip and whispered back instead, "We weren't arguing. It's called having a creative discussion."

"Oh touché."

The pair returned with the food a few minutes after that exchange. After distributing the food to their respective owners, the two of them joined everyone else in their random conversations. I contented myself to silently eating my meal while stealing glances of Yami feeding Ryu with French fries out of the corner of my eye, confident that none of my companions would notice.

* * *

Fury : There you go. Hope you didn't mind Seto being slightly ooc in this one. I _needed_ him to be kind. 

Also, I hope you guys understood what I was referring to as the 'stuffed-toy grabbing machine'. Frankly, I have no clue in this world what its real name is, and that was the best term I could give it – unless you wanted me to name it the 'get-a-stuffed-toy-using-the-mechanical-arm-thingymabob,' which, make no doubt, was my first choice.


	5. rumors

**Disclaimer: **Yugioh's not mine. Haven't I said this quite enough?

**Fury:** Yes, I am still alive. Just suffered a massive writer's block, but other than that, I'm still kicking. If anyone is still out there reading this, I am VERY SORRY to keep you waiting. I hope this would make up for it.

Thank you to **PenandpaperPoet **for enlightening me with the game's name (ha, it rhymes). So for those who also don't know, it's (and I quote) the "crane". Btw, I've also done my research and found out that it's other name is the UFO catcher. Very imaginative folks, aren't they?

Also, big, huge, MASSIVE THANKS to everyone who has been supporting this fic until now. I would never have imagined this much people liking this (tear).

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5: Rumors**

The Monday that followed seemed ordinary enough. The birds outside were singing the same song, the wind was still blowing in the same direction, and the mansion was pretty much running in the same order. In fact, this day was bordering on being extremely boring.

How I would've preferred it to stay that way.

Unfortunately, I had a nagging feeling that there was something different about today that I should absolutely, utterly dread. What was worse was that I had a feeling that _this_ feeling would be happening in school.

Mental note to myself: restock aspirin cabinet before going to work.

As I stepped into the front gates of the school, it was then that I realized I would need those aspirins already. The students milling about in the schoolyard were making so much noise they could have woken up the dead in the other side of the world. I sighed to myself. Based on how they were acting, it seems new gossip had been circulating this morning.

Oh yes, Domino High School is infamous for its reputation as the hub of all rumors known in this city, so naturally, gossip mongers from far and wide have decided to enroll here in an attempt to get the newest, juiciest gossip firsthand. Every day there would be a fresh rumor starting, sometimes based on somewhat truth and other times are just completely made-up, passed from one mouth to one ear, evolving with each recipient until it strays so far away from the original that it becomes a new rumor altogether. Such was the rumor cycle.

Thankfully, for the sake of my sanity, there are still _some_ who actually go to this school to do something else other than gossip – i.e. study.

Me? I'm only here since this is the institution nearest my corporation. Makes enduring traffic hell of a lot easier.

Opening the front doors of the school's main building, I was greeted by other gossipers, though fewer in quantity compared to outside. Ironically, this turned out to be worse – as I found out once the front double doors closed shut behind me – since the fewer the people, the less noise was made, resulting to a greater possibility of noticing changes in the environment.

Realizing my presence, the voices ceased in unison and all eyes zeroed in on me in an instant, as if all of it was rehearsed beforehand. I faltered a bit with my step, quite startled by the sudden massive attention.

Catching myself in the next second, I resumed walking as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Taking this as a cue, everyone else seemed to have snapped out of the trance as well, excited voices wafting into the air once again, though now it was a bit subdued, as if whatever they were talking about wasn't meant to be heard by me. As if I cared.

I was about to turn a corner at the end of the hallway when I overheard a piece of conversation coming from the other side. Halting in my steps, I stood against the wall as I strained to catch what they were talking about.

"Are you sure it's true?" I heard one girl whisper loudly to her friend.

"Am positive," she whispered back. "I have this guy friend of mine who personally told me that he saw them that day. He was quite surprised himself."

"Maybe he was bluffing you…"

Another girl added, "Yeah. I mean, it would be too out of character for _him_ to be acting like that, and in public, no less."

"That was what I thought too at first, but when Masaki showed me pictures he took with his phone, I just… I just had to believe him!"

"Wait a minute, he has _pictures_?" another girl squealed, her friends doing the same. Obviously all of them were riled up by that information. "Oh my god! I wanna see them!"

"Sure you can, but – " here she lowered her voice " – you have to promise not to tell a soul. Heaven only knows what will happen when _he_ finds out…"

I caught one friend nod her head sagely. "Once you get to his bad side, there'll surely be no redemption from the wrath of Seto Kaiba."

My eyes narrowed as I heard snickers and giggles from the group. That was it. Everything made sense now. The stretch of silence on my sudden appearance, the excited whispers, the wide-eyed stares… the rumors were about me.

They – everyone – they were all talking about _me_.

God forbid that I didn't realize that earlier.

"You seem to know much about my bad side. Care to experience it firsthand?" I said coldly once I stepped out for them to see. To my great pleasure, they all visibly jumped in surprise and fright as they realized I had heard enough of their conversation to really act out my threat.

"K-K-Kai…" one of the girls started, but one glare silenced her completely. By her voice, she was the one boasting about so-called pictures.

"Listen, you. Whatever it is, it's none of _any_ of your businesses, so I'll very much appreciate it if you tell that friend of yours to delete the photographs he took concerning me. I have my ways of finding out if you did what I told you or not. Don't take me seriously, and I'll personally make sure that he loses more than just pictures."

The girl nodded mutely. I then turned to the rest of the group who suddenly became stiff.

"The same goes for you lot." I growled threateningly.

Seeing as they looked about to faint, I took that as a yes and started back on my way down the corridor.

Now with the enlightenment that it was me that was being the subject of all the gossip, my ears seemed to have heightened in their sensitivity in picking up pieces of conversation in even the softest whispers. This worked against me, however, as a very dull albeit prominent throbbing started in my head.

Groaning inwardly, I turned on my heel and headed towards the direction of the school clinic. I seem to be becoming a frequent visitor to the infirmary lately.

The room was empty when I arrived. Huffing loudly, I sat down on a nearby bench while I waited for the school nurse to arrive. Really, the school administration should be more careful with the people they employ. Not having a nurse readily available in the clinic is just wrong for a student's health.

A jolt of pain seared through my head. Rubbing my temples, I grimaced. I really should learn to stop thinking about useless things, especially when suffering from a headache.

The nurse arrived later, coming back from some unknown place (maybe the faculty lounge). She gave me a surprised expression as she noticed me sitting in the room. "Mr. Kaiba, what are you doing here?"

"I need a couple of aspirins," I said shortly, not seeing the need to explain.

"Have you already eaten?"

"Yes," I lied.

She nodded, walking towards the medicine cabinet and taking out a small glass bottle. "Here you go," she then said, handing out two white tablets.

I took them from her palm and popped them into my mouth without a word. I instantly tasted the bitter salvation as it touched my tongue.

"You know, you shouldn't be coming to the clinic this often, Mr. Kaiba," the nurse said, sounding amused. She offered a glass of water which I took, drinking in the water to help the medicine go down. "People might start making stories of us seeing each other now."

I choked forcefully, the water threatening to come up again. A few seconds of thumping against my chest, I was finally able to gasp out, "Excuse me?!"

"My, you didn't know? I thought it had spread out already…" She mumbled the last part to herself, though I was still able to catch it. If she's talking about what I think she is… though I still had to make sure before I even think of doing anything inhumane and/or possibly painful.

"I still don't quite get what you're talking about."

The nurse sat down on the chair behind her desk first before explaining. "I heard some teachers talking about it a little while ago. I didn't hear all of it, but I was able to hear enough to make out the story. Apparently, a teacher's son saw you, Mr. Kaiba, with a certain Yami Moutou on what seemed to be – I only heard this, mind you – a date."

Great, now the teachers are talking about me too. What's more, I had to find out what the rumors were really about from a nurse. Anyone tell me where the decency in that situation is?!

"And why are teachers talking about this?" I managed to ask between gritted teeth.

"Beats me," she shrugged. After a short pause she asked, "Mr. Kaiba, is this Yami Moutou… the one you came with to the clinic a month ago?"

I felt a vein pop.

"None of you business," I snapped heatedly. I stood up and went out the door, careful to take with me the bottle of aspirins on the table.

Walking briskly to avoid any more straying whispers, I hurried inside the classroom to find it thankfully deserted. It seemed like people preferred being in the hallways today where they could exchange rumors freely. That was one point in favor of those blasted stories. Heaving a sigh of relief, I sat down on my seat at the far end of the room near the windows and waited.

Well, not really.

After counting one to twenty inside my head, I jumped up from my seat and took to pacing across the room, glancing once in a while outside the large windows overlooking the school front. What was taking Yami so long?

Pacing what felt like was equivalent to nearly a mile, I finally saw the group of people I was painstakingly waiting for, although the single tri-colored head below wasn't owned by the person I was expecting.

I stopped in my tracks as I felt the door open. "Can you believe it, guys? Yami and Kai… ba… well, um, hi, Kaiba."

"Hello yourself," I said, glaring daggers at the mutt, "I can see you've taken interest in today's gossip."

"Taken interest?" Jou said loudly, apparently unaffected by my death glare, "Of course we've taken damn interest. Hell, it's our friend they're talking about!"

"Keep your voice down, Jou, we don't want people hearing us." Yugi whispered, even though the classroom door was tightly shut after they had walked in.

Seeing as it was his best friend who requested, he complied with lowering his voice but continued speaking heatedly nonetheless, "Do you have any idea what people are talking about Yami?... About _you_?!"

I replaced my murderous stare at the mutt with a nonchalant one. "No, I don't. And frankly, I don't give a damn."

"What?! Aren't you a least bit curious? Pissed out?" he sputtered out, obviously not expecting my answer.

"Curious, yes, for as you pointed out yourself, people _are_ talking about _me_, but I'm not going to waste time fretting about totally inane and groundless things such as these… And as for being annoyed, you have _no_ idea how pissed off I am right now, even if I try explaining to you."

The mutt's questions stopped in that moment. He must have sensed the cold bite the last statement had and was now working on finding an appropriate reply. He finally came up with, "I can't believe you're taking this so lightly, Kaiba."

Not a brilliant answer, but we _are_ talking about the mutt here.

"I've endured worse," I just said simply. This was true. Running a multi-billion business such as KaibaCorp gave many reasons for people to make up stories about me or anything connected to me, whether it's because of envy, revenge, or plainly because they wanted to smear dirt on my name. Ignoring these below-the-belt attacks was always the best solution.

That said and done, I turned my attention to the more pressing issue. "Now, where's Yami? I've seen that he didn't arrive in school with you."

"He's at home, resting," Yugi said. At my questioning glance, he elaborated, "See, he wasn't feeling very well after you guys left after the arcades. It was only after we arrived home did the fever burst out completely."

"Fever? Is he alright?" I couldn't contain the concern showing in my voice.

"Yeah. He'll be alright after a few days' rest, the doctor said."

I nodded in understanding. Staring out of the window, I barely noticed the class filing in, their voices falling on deaf ears. I have to visit Yami later on.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

I waited for the dismissal bell to ring, my right foot tapping impatiently in tune with the clock's seconds hand. Darting my eyes from the teacher in front, my laptop, then to the wall clock, I could have sworn that time was moving deliberately and agonizingly slow today.

"And now, for homework…" the teacher announced, earning a collective groan from the class. The clock showed that it was fifteen seconds before three. Huffing loudly, I stored my laptop back to its case, completely ignoring the teacher as he dictated the page numbers that were to be read and answered.

The damn bell finally rung as the teacher called out "I want these things to be done by Wednesday!" over the ruckus of the class as they too prepared for going home.

Swinging my bag on my shoulder as the last chimes started to fade away, I headed to where Yugi was seated. He was on his desk, talking with Anzu, Jou, and Honda, while at the same time stuffing his notebooks inside his navy blue backpack.

"Can you guys believe it? Twelve pages of History!" Honda exclaimed, his eyes bulging out from the idea of how much homework they had to do. "And they're due two days from now!"

"Not to mention we have a test in Physics, a practical in Drama, pages for Math, _and_ an essay to be written for English," Anzu enumerated, her eyes rolling all the while. "God, and it's only Monday."

"Oh, c'mon guys," Yugi said, chuckling a little as his friends lamented their quote-un-quote dilemma, "We're Seniors already. You can't expect teachers to still give us little homework per day, can you?"

"I was hoping that they did…" Honda muttered.

"Well, you hoped wrong, Honda," I interjected impatiently. I never was an example of patience. "Are you clowns finished talking yet? I have to speak with Yugi." Seeing as none of them moved, I added, "Privately."

Three pairs of eyes quickly turned to Yugi, whose round amethyst eyes were blinking owlishly at me. I stared hard at him, waiting for him to comprehend my message.

He finally did after five agonizing seconds. "Uh… Y-yeah, sure."

I nodded curtly then turned around. I heard Yugi mutter, "Bye, talk to you guys later," then felt his presence beside me as I began to walk away.

"Don't stay too close," I muttered at him, "gossip mongers are still roaming around." Yugi fell back immediately after that, only blindly following wherever I was going. I didn't look at nor speak to him again until we were in a safe distance from the school.

Walking through the nearby park, I could sense Yugi's mounting anxiety. I smirked inwardly. I wonder what he was expecting?

"So… Kaiba," Yugi finally broke the heavy silence, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want to see Yami."

"Wha – " he asked in surprise, eyes widening even more than usual.

"You heard me," I said simply, "I want to see Yami."

"Why?"

I raised an eyebrow as I gazed at him from the corner of my eye. "Should I have a reason for wanting to visit a friend?"

"No, but…" Yugi trailed off.

"Thought so. Now let's go," I smirked, turning to the direction of the Game Shop. Yugi remained quiet for a while behind me, until he said suddenly,

"Is that your real reason?"

I paused at midstep and turned around to look at him. "Excuse me?"

"Is that your real… your only reason for visiting Yami?" Yugi questioned, taking steps forward until he was right in front of me, "As a friend?"

Yugi gazed hard at me, his eyes darkening to almost black. I returned the gaze just as hard. What suddenly came into him?

Still not breaking our gazes, I replied, "Yes."

Yugi remained staring into my eyes, weighing my answer carefully, before he finally blinked, his eyes slowly returning to their original shade, and nodded. He then pointed over my shoulder and said, "We're here."

I followed him as he walked past me towards the Game Shop. As he was unlocking the front door with his key, I overheard him say to himself, "Good, because I don't want to see Yami broken like he was."

* * *

**Fury: **Oohh, I bet everyone's wondering what Yugi meant by that. Well, I won't reveal it in the next chapter or the one after that, yet (evil laugh). You all just have to tune in to find out. As for now, please review!


End file.
